Giant magnetocaloric effect in a rare-earth-free layered coordination polymer at liquid hydrogen temperatures

Magnetic refrigeration, which utilizes the magnetocaloric effect, can provide a viable alternative to the ubiquitous vapor compression or Joule-Thompson expansion methods of refrigeration. For applications such as hydrogen gas liquefaction, the development of magnetocaloric materials that perform well in moderate magnetic fields without using rare-earth elements is highly desirable. Here we present a thorough investigation of the structural and magnetocaloric properties of a novel layered organic-inorganic hybrid coordination polymer Co 4 (OH) 6 (SO 4 ) 2 [enH 2 ] (enH 2 = ethylenediammonium). Heat capacity, magnetometry and direct adiabatic temperature change measurements using pulsed magnetic fields reveal a field-dependent ferromagnetic second-order phase transition at 10 K < T C